The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gaillardia plant, botanically known as Gaillardia aristata ‘Sunny Wheeler’ and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Sunny Wheeler’.
‘Sunny Wheeler’ was derived from a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor at his nursery in Schwamstedt, Germany. The breeding program focuses on obtaining new cultivars of Gaillardia with compact and floriferous plant habit in a range of flower colors. In summer 2009, the Inventor made a cross between unnamed plants from his breeding program as both the female and male parents (sowing no. G10004). Sunny Wheeler' was selected in 2010 by the Inventor as a single unique plant from the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished under the direction of the Inventor by in vitro propagation in Rijswijk, The Netherlands in 2010. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings and tissue culture has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.